Solan Phota
Known to the galaxy at large as Solan Phota (17 BBY), Solan's true name is actually Solycan, however only those who trained and raised him are privy to that knowledge. He chose Solan Phota as the name to use to interact with galactic society. He was apparently born on the desolate planet Kuar, but that seems to be about all he ever says about his past. Any and all attempts to dig further into his personal history beyond his first noted appearance on the galactic scene have been fruitless. Numerous theories abound about his origins, though many agree that Kuar is probably a dead-end to keep people from discovering his true origins and may even be Solan’s idea of a “joke.” The few who have investigated the planet have found nothing but ruins. In fact, much of this man is a mystery, including his species. It’s assumed that he’s Human, like the bulk of Mandalorians in modern times, but no one has seen his face to confirm it. Likewise his affiliation remains a topic of debate. He can speak Mando’a with ease, and appears to live his life by an interpretation of Mandalorian culture, but he has claimed no allegiance to the Mandalorian Protectors or any other disparate Mandalorian group in the galaxy. Solan’s work as a mercenary doesn’t help to clear up matters. He’s fought alongside the Empire, the New Republic, criminal organizations, law groups, and independent militias; whoever can meet his exorbitant prices. He seems to have no compunctions about fighting against a side he served with previously, but appears to have a strict rule about completing missions assigned to him first before shifting allegiances, no matter what offers are made to him. If there are any causes he believes in, he’s never voiced such thoughts aloud. Solan’s apparent willingness to shift sides hasn’t made him many friends (if any) and several enemies, but his great skill in battle has ensured that he sees steady work. He even seems to enjoy being the object of scorn as having so many enemies helps to keep his skills sharp. =History= Next to nothing is known about Solan’s life before his first reliable documented appearance during the Xen’Chi War. He was one of many to take part in several battles against the intergalactic invaders as part of an Imperial initiative to use hired mercenaries to supplement their beleaguered forces. He continued to fight against the Xen’Chi in numerous battles and was one of the few mercenaries to survive from the beginning of the initiative to the end alive. Despite proving his skills numerous times against the Xen’Chi, Solan refused any kind of recognition or honors for his work, demanding only the money he was owed after each job. After the war was ended, Solan continued to ply his preferred trade and deliberately sought out jobs that most other mercenaries wouldn’t touch for either being too high-risk for too little money or just plain suicidal. His reputation grew quite a bit thanks to his high success rate on these jobs and the often notable fact that he always managed to come back alive. Trouble on Cylon One particularly notable job involved him working for the Empire again as he led a team to Cylon space to find out more about their Cybrid program. Despite the early loss of the team’s Imperial overseer, Aedd Tema, on Byyor, they managed to discover that the droids were being manufactured on Cylon itself. Cylon ended up being a trap, with Solan and his team being used to test the effectiveness of the program’s Husks and Cybrid Troopers. In spite of heavily stacked odds against them, Solan was able to lead the team through the trap and have them recover information on the Cybrids. Towards the end of the mission, Solan ended up fighting against and nearly destroying Kir Varrus before facing off against Darth Trayus himself. Solan managed to hold his own against the Sith Lord, buying time for the rest of his team to take the information they recovered and go. Eventually Trayus struck a deal with Solan, promising to allow the team to leave without pursuit if Solan agreed to work for him. Solan agreed to the terms and, once the team was safely in hyperspace, was placed on retainer for Trayus. He didn’t, however, become an official member of the Crimson Empire and made it clear that he considered himself to still be an independent operator. =Equipment= Armor *'Helmet' Solan’s helmet differs noticeably from the traditional design in that it lacks the T-visor that has become emblematic of the Mandalorians. Instead the visor resembles an upside-down triangle with the sides curved inward. This is a feature implemented by Solan as a backup in case his visual systems malfunction or are knocked out. The triangle shape provides a greater field of vision than the narrower T-visor in a depowered state. Like almost all helmets worn by Mandalorian warriors, Solan’s includes various enhancements to improve his combat efficiency. An internal HUD can display a whole host of information and provide visual augmentation such as infrared, ultraviolet, and night-vision options with electrobinocular zoom functions for each type. An embedded camera can store recordings if necessary. It has two built in comlinks, one for general frequencies and a more sophisticated one dedicated to capturing and decoding military and other high-end frequencies. The helmet is synched up with the Tal’tar via a rotating and heavily encoded frequency so Solan can access the ship’s functions and computer core while away from the vessel. When this feature is not in use, the frequency goes passive as an extra security measure to keep enemies from tracing the position of him or his ship though such means. Another interesting feature about Solan’s helmet is that it has an internal locking mechanism to prevent others from removing it. The reasoning appears to be Solan’s own preference not to allow anyone, except those of his choosing, to see his face. When the helmet is worn, it seals up with the armor, protecting Solan from hazardous environments including the vacuum of space. It contains a hour’s worth of emergency air, but otherwise automatically filters the surrounding atmosphere of toxins and other contaminants to allow Solan to breathe on worlds that might otherwise be ill-suited for his physiology. Solan can give audio commands to access any of the helmet’s functions or to activate any of the devices built into his armor. The voice-recognition software is keyed to respond only to the sound of his voice and only accepts commands made in Mando’a. The software will only accept commands made from inside the helmet as a precaution against someone replicating Solan's voice and trying to use it to wreak havoc with his armor by making false commands. *'Mandalorian Armor' Solan wears a fully functional suit of Mandalorian armor, although the design of it doesn’t appear to match any existing style seen in the galaxy. Perhaps more remarkable, the armor seems to be forged out of Mandalorian iron instead of the more common duraplast despite the relative rarity of the material in the modern galaxy. How Solan acquired his armor is unknown as his first known appearance on the galactic scene already had him wearing it. The armor is synched up with Solan’s helmet and has had several enhancements built into it to give Solan a greater edge in combat. If Solan holds true to the Mandalorian tradition of using armor colors to represent something, his black and blue armor would appear to stand for Justice and Reliability; an interesting combination for the mercenary that doesn't appear to fully reflect his actions. Integrated Equipment *'Repulsor Pack' In contrast to common Mandalorian practice, Solan has chosen to eschew a jetpack believing them to be too temperamental and the downfall of more than one warrior. He has instead incorporated a repulsor pack into his armor. While it doesn’t give him true flight, it does allow for him to travel great distances within a gravity well. The repulsor pack also has the benefit of being much quieter, giving Solan the option of literally getting the drop on an opponent before they realize where he is. *'Crushgaunts' Long ago deemed to be illegal by the Mandalorians themselves, Solan nonetheless has acquired a pair and worked them into his armor as a regular feature. He doesn’t advertise the fact that he wears them, instead preferring to reserve their power for when he needs it most. *'Fibercord Whip' Attached to left forearm of Solan’s armor is a dual fibercord whip launcher. One slot contains a fibercord with a grappling hook for general use, the other a fibercord with a magnetic grappler for attaching to metallic surfaces. Either fibercord can be activated manually or with a verbal command from Solan through his helmet. Both whips can be electrified up to 10,000 volts. Integrated Weapons *'Dur-24 Wrist Laser' The wrist laser is intended by Solan as a back-up weapon in case he’s disarmed of his more conventional weapons. It occupies space on the right forearm. It can by synched up with the HUD in Solan’s helmet to fire at command or be set to autofire in cases of emergency. *'Vac Attack Mk-127' Sharing space with the wrist laser is a Vac Attack Mk-127, which gives Solan the option of unleashing a series of deadly spinning discs against foes who prove resistant to blaster fire or as a back-up in case the wrist laser is damaged or depowered. The device can also prove useful for cutting bonds. The Mk-127 is similarly rigged to accept commands from Solan via his helmet. Belt Pouches To further prepare himself for any situation that might crop up, Solan wears a belt with pouches containing items that might be useful to him. Aside from back-up ammunition, the known items include: *'Explosive Capsules' Solan carries various explosive capsules that serve different functions, from smoke, flash-bang, and poison gas. He also carries a specially created capsule that contains pure cortosis ore in a powdered form. The resultant cloud from the cortosis capsule disables any lightsabers caught within it. Each variation of capsule is a slightly different shape, allowing Solan to grab the necessary capsule by feel alone if need be. *'Micro Neural Disruptors' Solan’s micro neural disruptors are small devices that if attached to the skin, emit strong electric currents designed to disrupt muscle control. One is typically enough to disable a normal Human. The disruptors are weighted on one side to make them into throwing weapons and ensure they latch properly onto a target. They're just small enough to fit in the palm of his hand. *'Countermeasures' A few pockets carry devices to counter frequent obstacles encountered in the field or to counter other devices. Such devices include a Field Security Overloader, a Combat Deionizer, a portable Universal Jammer, Antisecurity Blades, and a Distortion Field Emitter. Weapons Projectile *'A280 Blaster Rifle' Solan prefers the A280 to its cousin due to the rifle’s ability to deliver more power over a longer distance. It is arguably his most frequently used weapon due to its ability to accurately and reliably deliver damage up close and at a distance. *'Heavy Repeater' Solan frequently carries this weapon with him into battle, slung over his shoulder until needed. It comes in very handy when dealing with multiple opponents. The attached grenade launcher also gives him the power to deal with vehicles or those fielding protection against standard ammunition. *'Dissuader KD-30' The Dissuader KD-30 is another weapon always found at Solan’s side. Despite the limited number of slugs it carries, he seems to prefer it over conventional blasters as few opponents are prepared for the acid-filled hollow jacketed ammunition the weapon fires. Melee *'Modified Mythosaur Axe' Solan wields a Mythosaur axe resembling those used by the ancient Mandalorian Crusaders. Rather than being made from the bones of a mythosaur used to create the original weapons, his appears to either be made from, or utilizing a covering of, Mandalorian Iron. The weapon is an apparent favorite of Solan’s. *'Vibroblades' Solan carries a few vibroblades on his body as secondary weapons, but will prefer to use his mythosaur axe before grabbing a vibroblade. Category:Mandalorians Category:Halomek